Project Overview
Approximately 12 million Filipinos live outside of the Philippines, separated from their families and friends. One of the things they value highly is keeping connected with their loved ones.
The Balikbayan Box app helps helps overseas Filipino workers connect with their loved ones back home by bringing the traditional balikbayan box to the digital age.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Branko Minic (Outware)
Kamal Kamal Mohamed (Outware)
Jeremy Le (Outware)
Jonathan Causevski (Outware)
Kelly Jennings (Outware)
Andrew Onorato (Outware)
Eliza Campbell (Outware)
Ryan Morales (Google)
Michelle Molas (Google)
James Rothwell (Toaster)
Sheelin Conlon (Toaster)
Matt Shoult (Toaster)
Project Brief
The Google Balikbayan campaign helps overseas Filipino workers connect with their loved ones and learn about things they need to know about their new country. Sending ”balikbayan boxes” is a traditional way for families to connect and show their love over long distances. It has a strong emotional significance for Filipinos all around the world. However, it can take many months for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to fill these boxes and send them home.
Outware was commissioned to develop the BalikbayanBox Android app for the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a non-profit organization that handles labour and migration concerns and develops programs to empower the OFW and his or her family.
The brief was to develop a native Android app, powered by Google services, which enables OFWs to connect with their loved ones back home by bringing the traditional balikbayan box to the digital age.
Project Need
The Balikbayan Box app is a virtual gift box that is powered by Google services. Users can:
- Share photos, videos, Doodles, YouTube clips and Google+ posts (more to come in future releases)
- Schedule boxes for specific dates
- Send ‘Thank you’ messages
- Access all their contact and invite people to join
Time zone differences, expensive data and telco offers, long work hours and a general lack of knowledge all influence how OFWs are able to connect with their loved ones back home. The BalikbayanBox app solves these problems and enables the OFW community to share daily moments that help them feel a sense of normality and connection with home.
User Experience
The Balikbayan Box app is a delight to use. Its colourful interface and simple layout makes it intuitive and engaging for any user.
It hides complex processes from the user, to ensure that the user’s focus is placed on the emotional connection to their loved ones back home. Imagery plays an important part of the design of this app to make the user experience pleasurable and delightful.
Project Marketing
In spite of the incredibly challenging timelines, the BalikbayanBox app went live successfully on 19 December 2014, just in time for Christmas as planned. In the first two weeks after launch, the app reached over 20,000 downloads. In its first month, it will reach almost 50,000 downloads, well above the client’s targeted 15,000 downloads in the first couple of months.
To find out more about the Balikbayan campaign, check out:
- Google Balikbayan campaign website: http://www.google.com.ph/campaigns/balikbayan/
- Why Google Launched the Balikbayan Campaign (Article): http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/12/18/14/why-google-launched-balikbayan-campaign-ofws
- Google PH OFW campaign (YouTube video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkAyduxK9f4
- Google PH – Miss Nothing (YouTube video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx3YmAGU3l4
Project Privacy
This app complies with Google’s Privacy Policy: http://www.google.com.ph/intl/en/policies/privacy/
Community
Apps more than ever are helping our communities to connect and engage, from emergency services to Not for Profits to social groups, these apps not only assist in delivery but provide efficiencies importantly providing those at the coalface more time to do their important work whether it be fighting fires or managing the local team. It's not all serious though we're also looking for apps that work to help bring the community groups together with fun and enjoyable activities.
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